Do You Need a Chief of Staff?
Do you have a chief of staff?
The chief of staff role migrated to the business world from the military and government long ago, but it’s becoming more common these days.
This week the New York Times wrote up the departure of John Rogers, longtime chief of staff at Goldman Sachs, referring to him as a “CEO whisperer.” Rogers is handing over the reins to Russell Horwitz in what is regarded as a significant leadership transition.
At firms like Goldman, the chief of staff isn’t merely a glorified admin; they hold a crucial role in the C-suite. And as the chief of staff role continues to elevate, it’s almost expected that CEOs of medium to large businesses will have one.
Given how fractured and frantic a CEO’s days can become, I think this is a good development. Having a reliable chief of staff in place—someone to keep your system running and protect your time—can make a night-and-day difference in the CEO’s life.
What exactly does a chief of staff do? Depends on an endless number of factors. H…
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